Twisted Love
by burst 'N bloom
Summary: He stared at Rangiku. His Rangiku and how completely broken she was now – a tug of the heartstrings at the sight and a clenching in his chest told him he hated how her eyes looked at him now. post-Aizen victory. GinxRan


Disclaimer: Bleach isn't mine :P

* * *

Crimson eyes shot across the blank room, eyeing the few possessions gracing the sparse presence distastefully. His spindly fingers tugged at the collar of his white jacket and gently loosened the fabric from his shoulders.

It was all over: the bitter fights, the betrayal, the rebellion. Everything was over. Ichimaru Gin had to smile at that, but in the end, he couldn't quell that quiet emptiness stirring in his chest.

Shrugging the large white jacket off of his body and listlessly tossing it onto the stiff mattress in the center of the room, Gin allowed himself a soft smile as he walked over to a small room stemming from his main bedroom. At last, the spoils of the war: the reason he ever joined at all.

He twisted the knob and gently pushed the white door open to see a seated figure at the back end of a small mattress. Her back was turned to the captain and a waterfall of golden orange hair slid across her slim shoulders and back, curving in and out with the contours of her body.

Her arms slightly tensed and Gin could imagine her hands curling into white fists, clenched in silent hatred.

"You killed them, didn't you?" A soft whisper suddenly ghosted off of her lips as her pale neck slowly craned over. Frosted periwinkle eyes bore into his own crimson ones.

"I guess I did."

"…"

She turned around again and muttered quietly to herself, pressing ever tightly against her soft palms to create blissful crescent shaped indentations in her white hands. Gin could see tears welling up against her eyelashes, the scent of salt coaxing about the air.

"Gin. I… How could you kill him? How could you…" Her voice was hoarse, rasping in a throaty whisper trailing off into a breathy nothingness. "Taichou didn't deserve to die. Hinamori didn't deserve to die. How dare you keep me alive like this?" She bowed her head, a slow recline as if giving up all desire to live. And sure enough, as Gin made his way to sit at the edge of the bed near her, he could see those icy blue eyes were completely empty.

"Ran-chan." He muttered softly into her ear, tucking the loose strands of orange hair behind her ear. "I did this for you, ya know. I only joined Aizen-sama to protect you-" Suddenly the woman whipped around and stared at him with hatred.

"How can you say that?! What kind of twisted protection is this…? We were supposed to kill each other…" Her hands quivered in her lap and clenched the white arrancar jacket fabric in bunches at her fingertips.

"I had to be on the other side to make sure none of them attacked you.. ne? I… was never on anyone's side, Rangiku, ya gotta believe me. I was only on your side." His arm reached out and rested against the fukutaicho's back with as much tenderness as he could muster. And god, had he missed her; the feeling of warmth and beauty right at his fingertips.

"…I… that-"

"Hate me if ya want to but I would rather be hated as an enemy than to have to see you die as a comrade. I was one of the leaders, Ran. The only reason you're not dead is cause I wouldn't let anyone near you.' Gin paused and slowly drawled again. "I really didn't care what happened to Toshiro-kun or Hinamori-chan. The only one I was thinking about was you."

Rangiku gave him a strange stare. Unreadable. But the pain in her eyes was unmistakable. Her lips slowly parted to speak again, and then with a pathetic stammer, she quickly shut her mouth. He stared at Rangiku. _His _Rangiku and how completely broken she was now – a tug of the heartstrings at the sight and a clenching in his chest told him he hated how her eyes looked at him now.

Determined to wipe that pained expression from his captive's face, he reached over with his spindly fingers to gently caress her cheek and nestle under her chin, Tilting the beautiful face upwards, he leaned in to trace his lips upon hers butterfly-light and so tender it hurt.

"I hope you'll understand some day… I only did it for you."


End file.
